Should I get the flu vaccine this year, and what if I can't find it?

Yes, especially if you are in a high-risk group, as long as you can get a genuine vaccine. WHO calls vaccination the best way to prevent seasonal flu (nazla, zukam aur bukhar). Supplies are short this season and DRAP has warned about fake flu vaccines, so buy only from a licensed pharmacy.

Who benefits most

WHO recommends a yearly flu vaccine for pregnant women, children aged 6 months to 5 years, adults over 65, people with long-term health conditions and health workers. Pakistan's National Institute of Health (NIH) names asthma, diabetes, and heart or lung disease among the conditions that raise the risk.

Timing

The vaccine takes about two weeks to start protecting you (CDC). Protection fades and flu viruses keep changing, which is why you need a new vaccine every year (CDC). Last winter, NIH reported 340,856 suspected flu-like cases in six weeks, from late October to early December 2025. If you missed the usual October window, ask your doctor whether it is still worth getting once stock returns.

If you can't find it

• On 30 October, ARY News reported that flu vaccines had run short across Pakistan, with multinational brands expected back in November or December.
• DRAP has warned that two flu vaccine batches are fake: Influvac Tetra batch P13, found in Lahore, and Vaxigrip Tetra batch Y4B34, which was never officially imported. The manufacturers, Abbott and Sanofi, have confirmed they are counterfeit, and their quality, efficacy and safety are unknown. Don't accept a shot from either batch.
• Buy only from a licensed pharmacy. Check the batch number and the manufacturer's seal, and ask whether the vaccine has been kept cold all the way from the supplier (the cold chain). A pharmacist can check a pack against DRAP's alert.
• Report any side effect to the National Pharmacovigilance Centre, and tell the pharmacy or your doctor if you suspect a fake.

Meanwhile, cut your risk

Wash your hands often, cover coughs and sneezes, avoid crowds when flu is spreading, and stay home when you are unwell (WHO, NIH).

When to see a doctor

Most people recover from flu within a week without medical care (WHO). If you are in a high-risk group, see a doctor early, because WHO advises that high-risk people and those with severe symptoms get antiviral medicine as soon as possible. A doctor decides whether you need it.

Emergency signs

Get medical care right away, or call Rescue 1122 or Edhi 115, for difficulty breathing, ongoing chest pain or pressure, confusion or being hard to wake, seizures, or not passing urine (CDC). In children, also watch for fast breathing, bluish lips, ribs pulling in with each breath, no urine for 8 hours, and any fever in a baby under 12 weeks. A fever or cough that gets better and then returns or worsens also needs care.

Sources

• WHO: Influenza (seasonal) (fact sheet, 28 February 2025)
• CDC: Key facts about seasonal flu vaccine
• CDC: Signs and symptoms of flu
• Daily Times: NIH issues advisory as over 300,000 influenza-like cases reported nationwide (16 December 2025)
• ARY News: Flu vaccine shortage in Pakistani markets (30 October 2026)
• ARY News: DRAP issues alert over counterfeit influenza vaccines (1 November 2026)
• ProPakistani: Fake flu vaccines found in Pakistan, DRAP names batches (1 November 2026)

General health information from the DoctorOS Team, not a diagnosis. For advice about your own situation, see a doctor.